GO BIG OR GO ALONE

Klopp: United will have to splash cash or risk being cut adrift from us and City

JURGEN KLOPP has predicted that Manchester United will “go big” this summer to try and fast-track their return to football’s top table.

But the Kop boss insists Liverpool won’t take their foot off the gas next season – with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham desperate to close the gulf in class created by his Anfield stars and Manchester City in the last five years.

Klopp believes that gap won’t last forever – and his players will have to work harder than ever and make “a proper machine of it” next season to stay ahead of the chasing pack.

Liverpool go into their final game of their league campaign against Wolves aiming for three points – and hoping Aston Villa can win or draw at City.

That scenario would guarantee a spectacular title win – their second in three seasons – and keep their Quadruple bid alive as they head to Paris for the Champions League Final clash with Real Madrid on Saturday.

But whatever plays out in the title battle with Pep Guardiola today, Klopp knows if Liverpool take their eye off the ball next season, Thomas Tuchel (below, right) and Antonio Conte (below) will be ready to make them pay.

The Reds enter the final day of the domestic campaign with an 18-point lead over third place Chelsea, 21 ahead of Tottenham and an eye-watering 31 points in front of Manchester United.

Adamant

But asked if their rivals are close enough to challenge Liverpool and City for the title next season Klopp was adamant in his response.

He said: “Yes. I see it when we played Chelsea in the FA Cup Final.

“I was over the moon about the way we played in the first half an hour at Wembley. It was the best half an hour we have ever played against Chelsea because they are so very difficult. So we all learn, we will see how the squads will look next year – all these kinds of things. But you do know that Erik Ten Hag is arriving at Manchester United?

“And they don’t wait five years now or whatever – they will go big and these kind of things.

“And you have Tottenham obviously. Antonio Conte is very, very ambitious and they already have a good team – to play the two competitions, the Premier League and in Europe, they maybe need a few more players.

“But they will bring them in and then that’s it.

“But it’s not about that. Nobody has to worry that the gap will stay forever or whatever.

“It was the hardest work to get here so if we ease off the gas a little bit then this 15-16 point gap we have at the moment is immediately down to three points – or nothing. So it is all about us. To make sure we can be as good as possible. About the rest we don’t have a real influence.

“I say again, we have a talented group, and we have will have a talented group next year.

“But we have to make a proper, proper machine of it – and then we will go and see what happens.”

Mood

Although the percentages are against them today, with City odds-on favourites to defeat Villa, Klopp believes his experiences at Mainz – where he won promotion to the Bundesliga the year after losing out on goal difference – help him now.

“At Mainz, life gave me another knock because we didn’t get promoted by a point, and then by a goal, so it was a real test. And then we got promoted” he recalled.

“So things work out if you stay on track. If you stay in the right mood. And

that’s what we will be against Wolves.

“I learned it early. That’s the only way I can do it actually.

“I enjoy the journey a lot and everyone who wants to do that as well is invited. And if not then I cannot change that.”